Valve lifter pulling means



Nov. 25, 1969 J. F. MANESS 3,479,722

VALVE LIFTER PULLING MEANS Filed June 9, 1967 INVENTOR. JOHN F. MANESS BY we WWI United States Patent O.

3,479,722 VALVE LIFTER PULLING MEANS John F. Mauess, 161 N. Montgomery St., Memphis, Tenn. 38104 Filed June 9, 1967, Ser. No. 644,853 Int. Cl. B23p 19/04; B25b 27/14 U.S. Cl. 29213 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention includes a valve lifter tool having a head part including a pair of spreadable jaws adapted to engage the interior wall surface of a hydraulic type valve lifter; the invention also includes an attachment head having spreadable claws adapted to be actuated by the spreadable jaws of the tool. The attachment head being adapted to be right angularly secured on and actuated by the jaws of the tool. A user of the tool and attachment head combination, by actuating the jaws of the tool simultaneously actuates the claws of the attachment head.

The tool per se is adapted for use in extracting a valve lifter where a straight and unobstructed pull can be applied on the lifter; the tool with the attachment head right angularly secured thereto is adapted for use in extracting a valve lifter when a straight pull cannot be applied on the lifter, and the pull must be made from a position offset from the projected axis of the lifter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention pertains to hand operable puller devices and also to such devices having remote control means whereby the operator may manipulate work parts situated remotely or out-of-reach of the operator.

Description of the prior art Since the advent of hydraulic valve lifters in automotive engines, many valve lifter removal tools have'been conceived for removing valve lifters of a cylinder head or cylinder block. Because the typical hydraulic valve lifter has only minor projections on which to attach a puller, and because the pull must be made from the topside of the lifter only, the task is often difficult and time-consuming. Also, in many automotive engine types, the valve lifter was only accessible after the removal of various other parts which obstructed the mechanic in gaining access to the lifter.

Many prior art lifter tools are adapted to pull a valve lifter by working the shank of the lifter tool through the associated push rod aperture of the valve being pulled. Many of the prior art pullers were dismantled during the pulling operation and the shank parts separated from the I head parts. Such pullers are disclosed in Patents 2,716,274 and 2,847,752. Another prior art lifter pulling tool, Patent No. 3,252,210, discloses means, in two embodiments thereof, for pulling a valve lifter from a position offset from the projected axis of the lifter. One of the embodiments utilizes a flexible shaft means, the other embodiment utilizes an articulated head arrangement for accomplishing a lifter pull from a position offset from the axis of the lifter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The tool per se of the present invention is provided with a small diameter-ed head and lifter-engaging jaw parts and as such is readily adapted to pass through the valve push rod hole in the cylinder head; such a feature is advantageous since a lifter in many instances may be removed through the push rod aperture and the intake 3,479,722 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 manifold and the cylinder head need not be removed to gain access to the lifter. This is in contrast to pullers such as those disclosed in Patents 2,716,274 and 2,847,752 mentioned above wherein the shank and head parts are threadedly separated during the use of the respective tools.

The tool of the present invention with the attachment head right angularly secured on the jaw parts of the tool is for use in obtaining an oifset pull on a lifter and for use in such valve repair jobs which may be carried out without removing the cylinder head from the engine block, The attachment head is also utilized in such engine types having push rod holes of such small diameter that the head of the tool will not pass through the push rod aperture. If the tool head of the present invention will pass through the push rod aperture in a cylinder head, then the valve lifter pulling procedure will be accomplished without the aid of the attachment head and the lifter would be extracted through the push rod hole. I

The right angular rigid securement of the attachment head and tool combination provides rigid offset pulling means which is in contrast to the flexible shaftpulling means of Patent 3,252,210 above mentioned. The rigid securement of the attachment head means of the present invention is also advantageous in that torsional and percussionary forces may be readily applied and transmitted from the handle to the head part of the tool for readily freeing a valve lifter from its bore.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an environmental perspective view of the tool illustrated as in use in removing a lifter from a cylinder block of an automotive engine.

FIG. .2 is an elevational view of the tool per se and illustrating also a valve lifter in broken lines.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational fragmentary view of the head portion of the tool taken as from FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the attachment head illustrated as attached on the head of the tool (tool shown in broken lines).

FIG. 5 is an end view of the attachment head of the valve pulling apparatus taken as from the left of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the attachment head.

FIG. 7 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the attachment head taken as on the line VII-VII of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken as on the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The tool, indicated by numeral 11, includes basically a tubular body 12, a pair of resilient jaw members 13, 13' operably secured on the distal end of tubular body 12, a handle 15 and lever 17 operably secured on the proximal end of body 12, and rod means 19 interconnecting jaw members 13, 13 and lever 17 (see FIGS. 1-3).

The attachment head, indicated by numeral 21, includes basically a pair of resilient claw members 23, 23' and rectilinearly operable wedge means 25 arranged substantially between claw members 23, 23 for spreading the claw members (see FIGS. 4-8),

For purposes of clarity in description, tool 11 and attachment head 21 and the various parts thereof will be described in normally operative positions and such positions as illustrated in the various figures in the drawing.

Referring now to tool 11, a sleeve-like portion 27 interconnects each member of pair of jaw members 13, 13 to the lower distal end of tubular body 12. Sleeve-like portion 27 and jaw members 13, 13rpreferably are integrally formed and secured by welding 29 to body 12. Jaw members 13, 13' are correspondingly parallel arranged and respectively include flat cheek surfaces 31, 31' facing laterally oppositely relative to the spreading travel of the pair of jaw members and opposite face surfaces 33, 33. J aw members "13, 13' include respectively oppositely projecting shoulder portions 35, 35 and oppositely projecting spur portions 37, 37'. Shoulder and spur portions 35, 35', 37, 37 project respectively generally perpendicularly from respective face surfaces 33, 33 and define substantially the upper and lower limits of the face surfaces. Jaw members 13,13 are of resilient material and normally are arranged substantially parallel and in an unsprung disposition as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Manually operative spreading means are provided for spreading jaw members 13, 13 and preferably includes the following: A pair of confronting lug portions 39, 39 are arranged respectively on and between the distal terminal portions of jaw members 13, 13. Rod means 19 includes a rod 41 and a chisel-shaped spud portion 43. Rod 41 extends through tubular body 12 with spud portion 43 operable between and engageable with lug portions 39, 39' of jaw members 13, 13.

' Handle 15 is generally L-shaped and includes a main horizontal portion 45 fixed on the projecting generally laterally from the upper end of tubular body 12 and a generally vertical handle portion 47. The vertical portion of handle 15 is slotted along a line 49 and defines a pair of upstanding parallel plate portions 51 (one plate portion shown in FIG. 2). Pin 53 pivotally fulcrums lever 17 between plate portions 51. Ball and socket means indicated 55 articulatingly connect the upper end of rod 41 with the intermediate portion of lever 17. Grasping and squeezing handle 15 and lever 17 together actuates rod means 19 and spreads jaw members 13, 13'; releasing handle and lever 15, 17 allows the lever and the rod means to return to normal dispositions (see FIG. 2).

Check means is provided for holding lever 17 against upward movement and thereby holding jaw members 13, 13' apart, Such adjustable check means includes a check trigger 57 pivotally mounted between plates 51 on pivot pin 59, Lever 17 and trigger 57 include respectively coperable lobe portions 61, 63. A spring 65 based from handle portion 47 and operable between upright plates 51 pivotally urges check trigger 57 upwardly and lobe portions 61, 63 into engagement. The check lever mechanism automatically checks the return travel of lever 17 and holds jaw members 13, 13' in a spread disposition; holding trigger 57 pivotally inward permits lever 17 to return to its normal disposition. A stop 68, which is preferably in the form of a washer welded to rod 41, is adapted to engage a shoulder 68a, provided in the bore of tubular body 12, to limit downward movement of rod 41 to prevent spud portion 43 from going beyond lug portions 39, 39.

Referring now to attachment head 21, a base block 67 interposedly rigidly secures the proximal portions respectively of claw members 23, 23' together and the claw members in generally parallel spaced arrangement. Claw members 23, 23 correspondingly project from base block 67 and terminate respectively in downturned or L-shaped distal portions 69, 69. The distal portions respectively of claw members 23, 23'- include oppositely facing face surfaces 71, 71 and oppositely projecting spur portions 73, 73'. Claw members 23, 23 are of resilient material and normally'are in an unsprung disposition (see FIG. 6).

Wedge means 25 includes a confrontingly arranged pair of lug portions 75, 75 and a wedge bar 77 including a chisel-shaped front portion 79. Carriage means operably secures bar 77 between claw members 23, 23. Upper and lower carriage plates 81, 81' guidingly secures bar 77 between claw members 23, 23'. Pins 83 project through the rearward portion of bar 77 and fixedly secure carriage plates 81, 81 in parallel arrangement respectively on opposite sides of bar 77. Wedge means 25 is rectilinearly bidirectionally slidable between claw members 23, 23'; outward movement of wedge means 25 causes engagement of chisel-shaped forward portion 79 of bar 77 with lug portions 75, 75' and causes claw members 23, 23 to be spread apart.

Attachment head 21 is adapted to be removably fitted over downwardly projecting jaw members 13, 13' of tool 11; the jaw members of the tool are adapted to project downwardly through the generally rectangular enclosure 85 provided in attachment head 21 defined substantially by oppositely arranged claw members 23, 23 and oppositely arranged wedge means 25 and base block 67.

Attachment head 21 of the lifter pulling apparatus preferably includes snubbing means for adjustably snubbing jaw members 13, 13 of tool 11 between base block 67 and wedge means 25 of attachment head 21. The snubbing means preferably includes a generally square snub block 87 closely fitted between the parallel back portions of claw members 23, 23 and with the snub block being adapted for bidirectional movement parallel with and between the claw members. Upper and lower guide plates 89, 89 operably constrain snub block 87 against vertical displacement as it moves rectilinearly between claw members 23, 23. Each of guide plates 89, 89 is generally U-shaped and includes respectively paired track portions 91, 91. Guide plates 89, 89' are fixedly secured by suitable means, as for example, by pins or the like, not shown, respectively on the upper and lower surfaces of base block 67 and claw members 23, 23 and with respective track portions 91, 91 extending along the rearward portions respectively of claw members 23, 23'. Track portions 91, 91 respectively of guide plates 89, 89' are adapted to engage respectively opposite upper and lower corner portions of snub block 87, An adjustable snub screw 93 having a winged head 95 is adjustably secured in a threaded central aperture 97 in base block 67. An annular recessed terminal portion 99 of snub screw 93 is turnably secured in a countersunk aperture 101 in the center of snub block 87. Turnably manipulating snub screw 93 adjustably rectilinearly moves snub block 87 and varies the distance between the snub block and wedge means 25 of the attachment head.

The pulling apparatus may be used in the following manner:

In an automotive engine repair job wherein the arrangement of the engine parts and the repair procedure is such that the valve lifter may be pulled through the push rod aperture in the engine head, tool 11 may be used without attachment head 21. To illustrate such a valve lifter pulling procedure, reference may be had to FIGS. 1-3. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an engine E having a block K, a head H having push rod apertures P, and a plurality of hydraulic lifters L reciprocatingly secured in bores B. Each lifter L includes a hollow cylindrical body Y having an annular interior recess R (shown in broken lines in FIGS. 2 and 3).

FIG. 1 illustrates tool 11 being used in pulling a lifter L directly through push rod aperture P. In carrying out such a procedure, the mechanic inserts tubular body 12 through the push rod aperture and inserts the distal end of jaw members 13, 13 into the upper interior of lifter L. While holding downward pressure on the tool, the user convergingly compresses lever 17 and handle 15 thereby spreading spur portions 37, 37 into' annular recess R in the lifter. As lever 17 is squeezed, the lobe portions of check trigger 57 engages the lobe portion on lever 17 and prevents the return movement of the lever; check trigger 57 holds jaw members 13, 13' respectively outwardly against the cylindrical walls of annular recess R. The user of the tool may then extract lifter L through push rod aperture P. The tool with the lifter attached thereto is removed from the engine assembly; the lifter may then be separated from the tool by squeezing and releasing lever 17 while holding inward on check trigger 57.

In a valve lifter pulling procedure in an engine assembly when the configuration is such that the lifter cannot be pulled directly through the push rod aperture, the following procedure may be performed: Attachment head 21 is attached on tool 11 by releasing the lever of the tool and placing the attachment over jaw members 13, 13'. (FIG. 4 illustrates the right angular arrangement of the attached head 21 on tool 11.) After jaw members 13, 13' of tool 11 have been inserted in attachment head enclosure 85 snub screw 93 is turned inward engaging snub block 87 with face surface 33' of jaw member 13. Turning inwardly on snub screw 93 snugly secures jaw members 13, 13' of the tool between attachment head wedge means and snub block 87. When the attachment head and tool are in a combined configuration, the upper and lower surfaces respectively of carriage plates 81, 81 and snub block 87 of attachment head 21 engage respectively the shoulder and spur portions 35, 35', 37, 37' of the jaw members of tool 11. With the attachment head firmly secured on tool 11, the combination may be used in accomplishing an offset pull and in extracting a lifter which cannot be pulled in a straight direct manner. FIG. 4 illustrates the tool and attachment head combination as in use in removing a valve lifter L (shown in broken lines). The procedure in engaging the tool and an attachment head combination with a valve lifter L is substantially the same as the procedure above described with reference to the use of tool 11: The user of the tool and attachment head combination inserts the distal ends of claw members 23, 23 into lifter L' and by convergingly compressing lever 17 and handle 15 urges jaw members 13, 13' apart, which in turn urges wedge means 25 outward between claw members 23, 23' thereby urging spur portions 73, 73 apart and into annular recess R of the lifter. Lifter L may then be extracted from its bore in much the same manner as previously described. The tool and attachment head combination is particularly useful when a lifter pull is to be made from a position offset from the projected axis of the lifter.

Now, while I have shown and described an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood that various modifications and rearrangements of components and elements of structure may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Valve lifter pulling apparatus including a lifter tool comprising a long slender tubular body, jaw means secured on one end of said body, said jaw means including a pair of substantially long narrow jaw portions integrally secured on and projecting from said body with each said jaw portion including oppositely facing flat cheek surfaces and a face surface, said pair of jaw portions being diametrically symmetrically spaced apart relative to the projected axis of said body, with said face surfaces of said pair of jaw portions facing oppositely and normally in generally parallel arrangement, said pair of jaw portions being formed of steel material and resiliently resisting converging or diverging movement, force means for spreading said jaw members including a pair of confronting lug portions arranged on and between the distal terminal portions of said pair of jaw members, a rod freely received in said tubular body including a spud terminal portion operable between and engageable with said pair of lug portions, and hand operative lever means supported on that end of said body remote from said pair of jaw portions for actuating said rod thereby forcibly engaging and spreading said jaw portions.

2. Valve lifter pulling apparatus comprising a long narrow body, head jaw means secured on one end of said body, said head jaw means including a pair of oblong jaw members fixed 0n and protected from said body with each said jaw member including opposite cheek surfaces and a face surface and with said pair of jaw members being diametrically symmetrically spaced apart relative to the projected axis of said body and with said face surfaces of said pair of jaw members facing oppositely, resilient means urging said jaw members together, and means manually operable remote from said jaw members for spreading said jaw members, said means for spreading said jaw members of said tool including a pair of confronting lugs arranged on and between the distal terminal portions of said pair of jaw members, each lug of said pair of lug members projecting from a respective jaw member and being confrontingly arranged relative to the other lug member, a rod including a spud portion operable between and engageable with said pair of lugs, and manually operable means for bidirectionally actuating said rod and spud portion for optionally engaging said spur portion with said pair of lugs and for spreading said jaw members, and including an attachment head removably secured on said head jaw means, said attachment head including base block means, a pair of oblong claw members fixed on and projecting from said base block means with each said claw member including a generally L-shaped distal end portion having a laterally facing face surface and with said pair of claw members being diametrically symmetrically paced apart and with said face surfaces thereof facing laterally oppositely, spreading means for spreading said pair of claw members including a confronting pair of lug portions each lug portion projecting from an inward side of a respective claw member and with said spacing means including wedge means slidably mounted on and bidirectionally movable along said pair of claw members and with said wedge means including a wedge portion arranged substantially between said pair of claw members and engageable with said pair of lug portions upon movement of said wedge block mea'ns toward the distal end portions of said pair of claw members; said attachment head being substantially mutually longitudinally right angularly arranged with the opposite cheek surfaces respectively of said head jaw members generally parallel engaging the inside confronting surfaces of said pair of claw members of said attachment head and further with said oppositely facing face surfaces of said jaw members engaging the confronting surfaces respectively of said base block means and said wedge means of said attachment head.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for actuating said rod and said spud portion includes a handle fixed on that end of said body remote from said jaw members and projecting generally laterally from said body, a lever fulcrumed at one end from said handle and pivotable in an are lying generally in a plane coincident with said rod, and means articulatingly connecting said rod and said lever.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the distal terminal portions respectively of said pair of jaw members and the distal terminal portions respectively of said pair of claw members include spur portions and wherein each member of said jaw and claw members includes a spur portion projecting from the face surface of the respective member.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 which additionally includes snubbing means for adjustably snubbing said pair of jaw member between said base block means and said wedge means.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said snubbing means includes a snub block, guide means arranged adjacent said base block means for rectilinearly guiding said snub block toward and away from said base block, and adjustment screw means providing force means for selectively moving said snub block toward and away from said base block.

7. The combination with a valve lifter pulling tool including a parallel elongated pair of jaw members defining oppositely facing face surfaces, and including hand operative force means for spreading the jaw members and the oppositely facing face surfaces thereof, of an attachment head adapted for cooperative action with said lifter tool comprising base block means, a pair of coacting elongated claw members fixed on and projecting generally parallel from said base block means and with each said claw member including a generally L-shaped distal end portion having a laterally facing face surface laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of said claw member,

said pair of clawmembers being symmetrically arranged on opposite 'sides of a center plane and with 'said'face surfaces thereof facing laterally oppositely and on opposite sides ofthe center plane, spreading means for spreading the pair of claw members and the face surfaces thereof including a confronting pair of lug portions with each lug portion projecting from an inward side of a respective claw member, wedge means guidingly constrained on and bidirectionally movable along said pair of claw members including a wedge portion arranged substantially between said pair of claw members and operatively engageable with said pair of lug portions upon movement of said wedge means toward the distal end portions of said pair of claw members; said attachment head structure being detachably secured on the pair of head jaw members of said lifter tool in right angular relationship with' said jaw members, and with said base block means and said wedge means of said attachment head structure being arranged on opposite sides of said pair of jaw members and directly'engaging respectively the oppositely facing faces of said pair of jaw members of said lifter pulling tool; spreading of said jaw member by said hand operative force means of said lifter tool being operative for causing movement of said wedge portion and spreading movement of the claw member distal end portions.

8. The valve lifter pulling apparatus as defined in claim 1 which additionally includes attachment head structure adapted for cooperative action with said lifter tool structure including base block means, a pair of coacting elongated claw members fixed on and projecting generally parallel from said base block means with each said claw member including a generally L-shaped distal end portion having'alaterally facing face surface offset from the longitudinal axis of said claw member, said pair of jaw members being symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of a center plane with saidface surfaces thereof facing laterally oppositely and on opposite sides of the center plane, means for spreading said pair of claw members including a confronting pair of lug portions with each lug portion protruding from an inward side of a respective claw member, wedge means guidingly constrained in bidirectional movement respectively on said pair of claw members including a wedge portion cooperatively engageable respectively with said pair of claw member lug portions upon movement of said wedge means toward the distal end portions of said pair of claw members;

said attachment head being de'tachably secured on the pairof jaw members. of said lifter tool in generally steadfastright angular relationship with said jaw members, with said base block means and wedge means of said attachment head being arranged on opposite sides of said pair of jaw members, and with said pair of claw members straddling and engaging respectively oppositely facing flat cheek surfaces respectively of the lifter tool jaw members.

9. Valve lifter pulling apparatus adapted for pulling a lifter having a vertical hollow cylindrical body comprising a long vertical slender body, a pair of spreadable vertically arranged jaw members secured on an end of said body, claw means extending horizontally generally right angularly from said jaw means including a pair of claw members having coactingly spreadable L-shaped distal end portions defining downturned vertical terminal portions adapted to be received in the interior of said lifter body, and including means responsive to spreading movement of said jaw means for causing substantially simultaneous spreading movement of said distal end portions of said pair of claw members and spreading engagement of the downturned terminal portions respectively of said claw members with diametrically spaced apart interior wall surface portions of said valve lifter.

10. The valve lifter apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said downturned terminal portions of said pair of spreadable claw members each includes a rib-like horizontally oriented spur projection and wherein said pair of claw members define a pair of oppositely facing spur projections adapted for spreading oppositely and engaging diametrically opposite portions of the annular interior recess of a valve lifter structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,405,896 2/1922 Butler 8l72 1,788,461 1/1931 Holder 29253 2,380,068 7/1945 Patton 29-2l3 3,252,210 5/1966 Bowden 29213 ROBERT c. RIORDAN, Primary Examiner J. C. PETERS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 29280 

